Server or pitcher



March 17, 1942. .R. BERNHARDT SERVER on PITQHER Filed Jan. 2'7, 1941 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNITED STTS. PATENT FFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to servers which are used for various and sundry purposes but which are most frequently used for viscous liquids such as syrup, honey, molasses, or the like, and provides means for pouring the contents from the container and cutting off the flow. Servers or dispensers of this general character have been extensively used, and the present invention is directed to improvements in the construction and operation of the same and more particularly in the way of reducing the number of parts necessary and also reducing the cost of manufacture.

The objects of this invention are to provide an improved syrup pitcher or dispenser having a pouring top provided with a spout and novel closing means; to provide a dispenser top, spout and handle formed of a single piece, and having a closure also formed of a single piece and'actuated by means of a spring which serves to hold the closure or slide tightly against the top; to provide a dispensing top having a spout and having a guideway in alignment with the spout,

a closure slide mounted in said guideway and a tension spring operatively connected with the top and slide whereby it will tend to hold the slide pressed against the guideway and will also return the slide to closed position; and to provide such further improvements in construction and advantages as will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1 but shown on an en- I larged scale;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the slide in open position;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the closure slide swung around for convenience in cleaning; and

Fig. 6 is an inside plan view of the slide.

The jar or container 1 may be made of any suitable material such as glass or the like, and has a threaded neck 8 for receiving the correspondingly threaded cap or top 9. The top 9 extends somewhat above the threaded portion in the form of a dome II]. It is provided on one side with a pouring spout I l and on the opposite side with a handle l2, these parts being preferably formed integrally of molded material such as any suitable plastic or metal. A guideway l3 extends across the top of the cap in for a short distance along the handle which is curved at its upper portion to conform with the guideway I3 as best shown in Fig. 2. The sides of the guideway are raised or provided with flanges or ridges as shown at M for guiding the closure member or blade l which is slidably mounted in the guideway. This blade or slide is shaped as shown to conform closely with the coacting surface or parts of the cap to make a tight closure and the forward edge I6 preferably beveled or shaped to cut off the liquid being .poured through the spout when the slide moves to closing position. The rear end of the slide or blade has a transverse projection or thumb piece I! for actuating the same. The slide is also preferably provided through a limited portion of its length at the rear endwith a groove l8 which provides a slight amount of clearance. Such groove and the openings leading to the same may provide for sufiicient venting, but if desired, the closure may be vented in any usual way. The slide may also be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of a moldable plastic in the same manner as the cap.

The slide or closure member I5 is held closely against the guideway by means of a spring! which also serves to return the slide to closing position after it has been opened. vOne end of the spring is connected at 20 with a lug or post 2! extending downwardly from the upper portion of the cap. The opposite end of the spring is connected at 22 to 2. lug or projection 23 extending downwardly or inwardly from the slide l5. The lug 23 extends inwardly through an opening 24 in the cap and engages with the rear wall or edge 25 to stop movement of the slide in one direction. It also engages with the opposite wall or edge 26 to limit the movement of the slide in the opposite or closing direction. It will be noted that the point of attachment 29 of the spring to the post 2! is at a sufficient distance. below the point of attachment to the lug 23, and the spring is of such length that it will always exert a tension on the slide or closure l5, tending to press it against the cap whereby its forward or cut off portion will engage closely with the pouring spout to assure a satisfactory cut off of the dispensed material.

The operation of the dispenser or server will be readily apparent. The user may conveniently grasp the handle l2 with the fingers and use the thumb for pressing against the thumb piece I! to slide the blade or closure IE to open position as shown in Fig. 3. When a sufiicient amount of alignment with the pouring spout, and continues the material being dispensed is poured out, the

thumb piece is released and the spring Will return the slide to closed position and simultaneously cut off any drip at the spout.

In use of such containers or dispensers with syrup, honey or the like, the parts are apt to become sticky and require Washing. For this purpose, the slide I5 may, in some cases, be readily detached by disconnecting the end of the spring from the lug 23. However, an easier way is to raise the slide out of its guideway and turn it around as shown in Fig. 5 until it rests on the A combined closure and dispenser for a container, comprising a body portion engageable with the outlet of the container and having a pouring spout at one side thereof, a handle projecting from the opposite side of the body portion, a guideway in alignment with the spout defined by parallel ridges, a blade slidably mounted in the guideway and extending over the spout when in closing position, means on the blade for manually retracting the same, a projection on the blade extending inwardly through a hole in the bottom of the guideway, the sides of said hole serving as abutments for limiting the movement of the blade, a post extending inwardly from the center of the body portion, and a spring having one end connected with the post and the other end connected with said projection and positioned so that it will at all times tend to hold the blade against the body portion with its forward end in close shearing contact with the spout and also serving to move the blade to closing position.

' RUDOLPH BERNHARDT. 

